Dental Care Coverage Transitions

Dental insurance is an important factor in the decision to seek dental care. Yet, no dental coverage is provided by Medicare, which provides medical insurance for almost all Americans 65 years and older. This loss of coverage could lead to distortions in the timing of when to seek care, ultimately leading to worse oral and overall health. This study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) for individuals 51 years and older to assess transitions in dental coverage between 2004 and 2006 in the context of changing employment and retirement status. Older adults are likely to lose their dental coverage on entering retirement compared with those who remain in the labor force between waves of the HRS. While more than half of those persons in the youngest group (51 to 64 years) were covered over this entire period, two-thirds of those in the oldest group (over age 75) were without coverage over the same period. A high percentage of older persons flowed into and out of dental coverage during the study, similar to flows into and out of poverty.